Here's a picture as is (14 inches of space)

The other side has more space (25 inches) between the counter top and cabinets. Here's what it looks like:

Here's what it looks like all together (please excuse the mess, we are in construction mode lol)

Is this an apartment?

Can you remove that soffit above the cabinets?

Would you miss the storage space if you use shorter cabinets? (only you can answer that as we have no idea how much stuff you have or if you have other storage spaces in your home).

I would keep the cabinets as they are so that you can store all your stuff behind doors and make a big effort to keep your counters uncluttered. That will make the biggest difference in how the space looks.

the sink wall would be fine for me. the range/ microwave wall is where i'd adjust things. reasons the 3-4 inch reveal of bottom of microwave.....preference for above cabinet trim at the top.....desire for better reaching height of bottom shelf of cabinet at cooking time for oils/spices/ingredients/etc, Are you satisfied with cabinetry setup around microwave?

Agree with herbflacor, those cabinets around the microwave need to be lowered. I would prefer all cabinets be set at the same level.

It is the soffit that is the issue.

Thank you all for your input! I'm also interested in removing the soffit (I didn't know that that was what it was called). So what is a soffit? I'm only concerned that there is something there structurally (like ac vent) there that will prevent me from removing it.

And yes, this is our house, so we can do anything that fits best for us :)

How would we go about removing it?

Thank you!

Sometimes they hide the pitch of the roof. In older homes, they sometimes hide updated electrical. And sometimes they may hide a beam.

You can remove some drywall to see, but then you would have to replace the drywall if you cannot remove the soffit.

My kitchen had 15" between counters and uppers, pre-reno. I hated it and would not recommend anything shorter than 18". My 15" height was too short for almost any countertop tools or small appliances to be useful. That said, if you don't need to store or use anything on that wall (other than simple prep, e.g., with a cutting board or bowls, etc., then maybe you wouldn't find the short height as dysfunctional as I did.

And sometimes soffits hide plumbing (water pipes, waste pipes, etc.) that may or may not be difficult to move. We had plumbing in part of our soffit. Our solution was to remove the big soffit and replace with a much smaller one installed behind the upper cabinets. No one notices it unless I point it out -- which I don't do anymore! Here's a picture:

It's less obvious in real life.

I would rather have 14" in between than shorter uppers. But I don't keep a lot of tall items on my countertops either. In my old 1925 house (my personal home) I went with 15" between...it actually helps make it look more "vintage". 18" is standard but anything between 15-18" is acceptable in kitchen design.

My neighbor who is only 5' tall loves that my uppers are lower....also easier for kids to reach.

Really just depends on you, your family and how you use the kitchen.

Here's mine at 15". With the light rail molding at the bottom of the cabinets...it's about 14" of space.

1925 Plain & Fancy Kitchen - Dayton Ohio · More Info

Plain & Fancy Kitchen - Dayton Ohio · More Info

Regarding the distance b/w counters and upper cabinets (or light rail, if you have it)...

18" is the standard and most small appliance manufacturers use that height when they design their appliances. This means that most countertop appliances are designed to fit in that 18-inch height and most take advantage of the full height. E.g., my KA mixer is 16.5" tall, a bit over 17" when I have the cover on it.

If you plan to ever use a stand mixer, tall blender, tall coffeemaker, or any other tall appliance, then you need a space to use them.

From what I see, you do NOT have enough room flanking the range, so unless you have counterspace you're not showing, you do not have a place for using countertop appliances.

My suggestion is to check the soffits to see if you gain at least enough room for an 18-inch open backsplash height and raise the uppers.

Will you have light rail on the bottom of the uppers? If so, the height of the light rail also needs to be accounted for when determining how high to raise the uppers.

buehl makes a good point on the small appliances. My microwave and air fryer are on the other side of my kitchen where the space is 18".